Dubai: Give people with disabilities a fair chance to join the workplace — there’s nothing to be afraid of, officials urged UAE companies on Tuesday.
Emirates NBD, along with its strategic partners, on Tuesday launched The Careers Network to drive workplace inclusion for people with cognitive disabilities as they have fewer opportunities compared to people with disabilities in general.
Under its flagship #TogetherLimitless advocacy platform, the bank seeks to help match work-ready individuals with companies that can provide them with long-term employment positions.
The programme is part of Emirates NBD’s commitment as they support the #MyCommunity initiative to transform Dubai into a disability-friendly city.
Hussam Al Sayed, Group Chief Human Resource (HR) Officer at Emirates NBD, said he hopes that the initiative will provide people with cognitive disabilities across the UAE “the opportunity to work and contribute to society”.
During the launch, experts from various government agencies and the private sector discussed the challenges and potential solutions in hiring people with disabilities.
Dr Shaikha Alia Al Qasimi, acting CEO of Social Care and Development sector at the Community Development Authority (CDA), said the approach must be three-pronged.
“Just focusing on the person with disability is not enough. You need to make sure that the people around them know how to deal with them with dignity and respect. Then look at the actual HR policy, the [recruitment process], and the physical accessibility. This triad is needed for that inclusive employment to be successful,” Shaikha Alia said.
Majid Abdullah Rashid Al Usaimi, executive director of Dubai Club for the Disabled, said investing in people with disabilities is an investment for the future. So, all sectors of society should work together as early as now.
In Dubai, there are around 12,000 people with disabilities based on CDA’s figures in 2014. But job opportunities are few, said Elena Cruz, vice-president, Brand Management and Corporate Social Responsibility at Emirates NBD.
“Very little opportunities are there [for people with disabilities]. It’s fine to hire them. There’s nothing to be afraid of. These people are ready, these people are talented. All you have to do is give them a chance and hire them,” Cruz said.
The Careers Network will build a database of potential candidates, interview them and assess their work readiness and help to place them in jobs where they will be shadowed for three to six months to ensure complete workplace integration.
Maryam Bahlooq, executive vice-president of HR at Emirates NBD, said companies should look beyond the dollar sign for their Return on Investments (ROI) when hiring people with disabilities.
“The ROI in this case is very easily measurable when we think about improving empathy, improving employee engagement. It has been proven that the higher the employee engagement, the more it helps organisations to perform better,” Bahlooq said.
When asked what to do if candidates do not match specific positions in a company, Bahlooq said the HR should “carve a job for them”, which is what they did with Niloofar Saleem.
Niloofar, 31, has a global developmental delay or is a slow learner. She graduated from Manzil and has been working at Emirates NBD for the past five years.
Speaking to Gulf News, Hanifa, Niloofar’s proud mother, said. “She is stronger now, more confident and, most importantly, she is living her life with dignity.”
